Welcome to Week 12 of the Texas Legislature!
TRUE TEXAN DAY AT THE CAPITOL, MARCH 28, 2023
Join True Texas Project Citizen Advocates for TRUE TEXAN DAY at the Capitol!
We’ll have a full day of activities for you, including a tour of the Capitol Building, a meeting with Comptroller Glenn Hegar, a tour of the Supreme Court Building with Justice Michelle Slaughter, legislative updates from legislators, visits to your own House Representatives and Senators, and some fun games along the way.
Students are welcome, and this is a great opportunity to introduce them to state government and basic civics. Registration is required so we can make plans to accommodate everyone, but there is no fee involved. Please enter the name of each person attending and the age if under 16. (example: Jason Smith, age 12)
We’ll begin the day at 8:45 with check-in/registration – you’ll be given a packet with useful information for the day and the complete schedule, as well as a name badge. Then our day starts with a visit from Comptroller Glenn Hegar at 9:15.
We’re doing a scavenger hunt for adventurous souls, and the first prize is a $25 Gift Card! The second prize is a TTP T-Shirt. Third through 45th place, well, thanks for the effort. LOL! It’s a fun way to learn about the Capitol and State Government.
It’s not too late to register – but it will be if you wait until after Monday! Detailed agenda and instructions will be sent to those who register.
Last week our activists delivered position papers on HB3570 which would require porn websites to obtain an ID before accessing the site. The papers were delivered to all House Youth & Safety Committee members, asking them to schedule a hearing, and other members asking them to co-author.
We also had people testify in the House Education Committee on HB900 (Patterson) which would get the dirty books out of the schools. Testimony went late into the evening, and the bill is currently left pending in Committee.
On Wednesday, I helped a new activist from Williamson County learn to navigate the legislature and the Capitol building, and I also registered for or against 26 bills. It was a busy day!
This Week – 3/27 – 3/31
HB1686 (Oliverson) is the companion bill to Campbell’s SB14 to ban gender modification of children. This bill has RPT Leg Priority Committee approval.
It will be heard in House Public Health Committee on Monday 3/27 beginning at 8:00 am. The bill has 73 co-authors, so it ought to sail through, BUT…. you know how that goes! Please get to the Capitol to testify if possible, or do the online comment thing.
***This is one of our top priority bills both for TTP and RPT – we need to show support! Please take advantage of the online comment opportunity!***
HB2012 (Oliverson) and HB1507 (King, Ken) are both being heard in House Public Ed Committee on Tuesday 3/28. HB2012 allows the national motto (In God We Trust) to be displayed in schools, and HB1507 prohibits school programs celebrating sexual preference. (Like Austin ISD’s Pride Week goingon right now!). Please get to the Capitol on Tuesday if possible to testify, or do the on-line comment thing.
We’ll be busy doing True Texan Day on Tuesday, but we’ll find time to visit hearings, and deliver papers to relevant committee members. If you do the scavenger hunt – the more offices you visit and ask questions the better you’ll do. Plenty of things going on Wednesday and Thursday too! Wednesday there’s some bad bills up in the House Transportation Committee that we could use help on. Let me know if you can go on Wednesday – I’ll be there!
REMEMBER: For guidance on bills, go to the RPT website, click on TXLEGE, download the list of approved bills that fit the RPT Leg Priorities. Also find there the weekly report from the Leg Priorities Committee, and talking points for the priority issues.
Did you know we have a Facebook Chat Group just for Citizen Advocates? I post all my action calls there as well as the Friday messages. Check it out and join. It’s a great place to discuss issues, raise the flag about bills and committee activities, and general what’s going on where in the State.
I want to see lots of “TRUE TEXANS” on Tuesday! Until then, stay strong, and NEVER GIVE UP! NEVER SURRENDER!
God Bless Texas and Texas Patriots!